The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death

The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death

A war masterpiece. Iron blood will never die.

2024 · 144 min · ★ 6.6 · Drama, War, History

The movie focuses on the battle of Cheolwon, where the 63rd Army of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (CPVA) was ordered to enter the battlefield of Cheolwon in May 1951, just after a month-long battle, to fight against four divisions of the United Nations Army (UNA). The volunteers fought with bloodshed and finally brought the enemy to the negotiation table.

Directed by Chen Kaige · Written by Zhang Ke

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death

The Volunteers: Peace at Last

Both from Chen Kaige.

The Volunteers CollectionSee all →

More from Chen KaigeSee all →

Forced Take-offForced Take-off · 1984
Forced Take-off
9.01984
MovieDrama
Two-part TV film made by Chen Kaige for Air Force Political Department Drama Troupe.
The Grand Mansion GateThe Grand Mansion Gate · 2001
The Grand Mansion Gate
8.92001
SeriesDrama
This Chinese period drama series follows the fortunes of a prominent merchant family engaged in Traditional Chinese Medicine during the waning years of the Ching dynasty. The affairs of this family of doctors/pharmacists (which in those days were one and the same) are intimately linked with social upheavals of the time such as the encroachment of Christian missionaries and foreign imperialism as well as conflicts that inevitably emerge in a large upper class family. Comparable in scope and production value to such recent titles as "Downton Abbey", the lives and character of both masters and servants intertwine in plot lines that spans more than a generation.
The Volunteers: Peace at LastThe Volunteers: Peace at Last · 2025
The Volunteers: Peace at Last
8.22025
MovieDramaWar
Set during the final phase of the War to Resist U.S. and Aid Korea, the film depicts the tense final battles and simultaneous peace negotiations leading to the armistice, capturing the spirit of perseverance and sacrifice on both the battlefield and the diplomatic front.
Something Just Like ThisSomething Just Like This · 2020
Something Just Like This
8.02020
SeriesDrama
Qian Xi Xi grew up living with Duan Ran, a second-generation heir of a rich family. The two childhood sweethearts are inseparable even after they enter the work force as e-commerce entrepreneurs. They experience ups and downs, obstacles and complications that are beyond what they had imagined. But throughout the process, they made friends with people who share similar ambitions and together, they carve out their own path. Follow their journey of discovering true love and fulfilling their dreams.
Farewell My ConcubineFarewell My Concubine · 1993
Farewell My Concubine
7.91993
MovieDrama
In an epic tale of theater, gender, love and class, two Beijing opera actors navigate political turmoil as their friendship evolves over decades.
The Last EmperorThe Last Emperor · 1987
The Last Emperor
7.61987
MovieDramaHistory
A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.
The Monkey King 3D: Uproar in HeavenThe Monkey King 3D: Uproar in Heaven · 2012
The Monkey King 3D: Uproar in Heaven
7.42012
MovieAnimation
A completely remade animation film based on the original 1961 animation The Monkey King. Mythical ancient China. Born from some magic stones that fell to Earth a long time ago when Goddess Nüwa mended the sky, Sun Wukong, aka Monkey King, sets off on his first adventure to gain a worthy weapon. This earns the attention of the Jade Emperor of Heaven.
Yellow EarthYellow Earth · 1984
Yellow Earth
7.21984
MovieDramaMusic
A communist soldier is sent to a remote region of China in order to collect folk songs. Staying with a peasant family (a widower with two small children), he discovers a community whose way of life is completely alien to him, but he gradually wins their trust.
TogetherTogether · 2002
Together
6.92002
MovieDrama
When a violin prodigy Xiaochun and his father head to Beijing seeking fame and fortune, they soon discover a fierce world of cutthroat ambition. But when Xiaochun is "adopted" by a famous music tutor, success finally seems within reach - until a shocking discovery begins to unravel his entire world, and the boy must make the most difficult choice of his life. Can he achieve the fame his father had always hoped for without losing the extraordinary passion that sets him apart?
The Emperor and the AssassinThe Emperor and the Assassin · 1998
The Emperor and the Assassin
6.91998
MovieHistoryDrama
In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.
Ten Minutes Older: The TrumpetTen Minutes Older: The Trumpet · 2002
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet
6.92002
MovieDramaDocumentary
Ten Minutes Older is a 2002 film project consisting of two compilation feature films entitled The Trumpet and The Cello. The project was conceived by the producer Nicolas McClintock as a reflection on the theme of time at the turn of the Millennium. Fifteen celebrated film-makers were invited to create their own vision of what time means in ten minutes of film.
Life on a StringLife on a String · 1991
Life on a String
6.91991
MovieDrama
A blind man's master told him that after he has broken 1000 strings on his Banjo, he can open the Banjo to get a script for his eyes. After 60 years he broke the 1000th string.
Temptress MoonTemptress Moon · 1996
Temptress Moon
6.71996
MovieDramaRomance
Set in the decadent 1920s, Temptress Moon tells the very complicated story of a wealthy family living on the outskirts of Shanghai. Their youngest daughter, Ruyi, is brought up as a servant to her opium-addicted father and brother. Meanwhile, her brother-in-law Zhongliang has a successful, if illegal, career seducing and blackmailing married women in the city. When he comes to Ruyi's home the two fall in love, and trouble ensues.
My People, My CountryMy People, My Country · 2019
My People, My Country
6.62019
MovieDramaHistory
Anthology of short films directed by several different directors.
To Each His Own CinemaTo Each His Own Cinema · 2007
To Each His Own Cinema
6.42007
MovieComedyDrama
Commissioned to mark the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, "To Each His Own Cinema" brought together 33 of the world's pre-eminent filmmakers to produce short pieces exploring the multifarious facets of cinema and their perspective on the state of their chosen artform in the early 21st century.
The Battle at Lake ChangjinThe Battle at Lake Changjin · 2021
The Battle at Lake Changjin
6.32021
MovieDramaWar
Korean War, winter 1950. In the frozen and snowy area of Changjin Lake, a bloody battle is about to begin between the elite troops of the United States and China.

More Like This

Survival of the DeadSurvival of the Dead · 2010
Survival of the Dead
4.82010
MovieHorrorComedy
Off the coast of North America, locals simultaneously fight a zombie epidemic while hoping for a cure to revert their undead relatives back to normal.
Ayla: The Daughter of WarAyla: The Daughter of War · 2017
Ayla: The Daughter of War
8.02017
MovieDramaWar
In 1950, amidst the ravages of the Korean War, Sergeant Süleyman stumbles upon a a half-frozen little girl, with no parents and no help in sight and he risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his army base and out of harm’s way.
BanditBandit · 2022
Bandit
6.32022
MovieCrimeDrama
After escaping a Michigan prison, a charming career criminal assumes a new identity in Canada and goes on to rob a record 59 banks and jewellery stores while being hunted by a rogue task force. Based on the true story of The Flying Bandit.
The Hate U GiveThe Hate U Give · 2018
The Hate U Give
8.12018
MovieCrimeDrama
Raised in a poverty-stricken slum, a 16-year-old girl named Starr now attends a suburban prep school. After she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend, she's torn between her two very different worlds as she tries to speak her truth.
El CantanteEl Cantante · 2006
El Cantante
7.22006
MovieHistoryDrama
The rise and fall of salsa singer, Héctor Lavoe (1946-1993), as told from the perspective of his wife Puchi, who looks back from 2002.
A Soldier's StoryA Soldier's Story · 1984
A Soldier's Story
6.81984
MovieMysteryCrime
In a rural town in Louisiana, a black Master Sergeant is found shot to death just outside the local Army Base. Military lawyer, Captain Davenport—also a black man—is sent from Washington to conduct an investigation. Facing an uncooperative chain of command and fearful black troops, Davenport must battle with deceit and prejudice in order to find out exactly who really did kill the Master Sergeant.
MacArthurMacArthur · 1977
MacArthur
6.21977
MovieDramaHistory
The film portrays MacArthur's life from 1942, before the Battle of Bataan, to 1952, when he was removed from his Korean War command by President Truman for insubordination, and is recounted in flashback as he visits West Point.
The Bridges at Toko-RiThe Bridges at Toko-Ri · 1954
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
6.01954
MovieWarDrama
A U.S. Navy pilot and his squad are assigned to bomb a group of heavily defended bridges deep behind enemy lines during the Korean War.
The Manchurian CandidateThe Manchurian Candidate · 1962
The Manchurian Candidate
7.51962
MovieThrillerDrama
Near the end of the Korean War, a platoon of U.S. soldiers is captured by communists and brainwashed. Following the war, the platoon is returned home, and Sergeant Raymond Shaw is lauded as a hero by the rest of his platoon. However, the platoon commander, Captain Bennett Marco, finds himself plagued by strange nightmares and soon races to uncover a terrible plot.
Joint Security AreaJoint Security Area · 2000
Joint Security Area
7.82000
MovieDramaThriller
Two North Korean soldiers are killed in the border area between North and South Korea, prompting an investigation by a neutral body. The sergeant is the shooter, but the lead investigator, a Swiss-Korean woman, receives differing accounts from the two sides.
Melinda and MelindaMelinda and Melinda · 2004
Melinda and Melinda
6.22004
MovieComedyDrama
While dining out with friends, Sy suggests the difficulty of separating comedy from tragedy. To illustrate his point, he tells his guests two parallel stories about Melinda ; both versions have the same basic elements, but one take on her state of affairs leans toward levity, while the other is full of anguish. Each story involves Melinda coping with a recent divorce through substance abuse while beginning a romantic relationship with a close friend's husband.
HannibalHannibal · 2001
Hannibal
6.82001
MovieCrimeDrama
After having successfully eluded the authorities for years, Hannibal peacefully lives in Italy in disguise as an art scholar. Trouble strikes again when he's discovered leaving a deserving few dead in the process. He returns to America to make contact with now disgraced Agent Clarice Starling, who is suffering the wrath of a malicious FBI rival as well as the media.
CasanovaCasanova · 2005
Casanova
6.52005
MovieAdventureComedy
With a reputation for seducing members of the opposite sex, regardless of their marital status, a notorious womanizer discovers a beauty who seems impervious to his charms. However, as he continues to pursue the indifferent lady, he finds himself falling in love.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter